Class Outline: The Whitehall Project, a Replicable Weed Fighting Strategy
2005 Class Scheduled for 2nd week in July.
Ten teachers will receive room, board and mileage.
The class will include 2 extra days to travel to Grassrange and collect leafy spurge flea beetles (we collected 1.6 million on a similar trip summer 2004!).
Whitehall High School, Whitehall, Montana
July, 11-13th, 2004 +
2-day Extension to Grassrange, MT to collect leafy spurge flea beetles July 14-15th.
Summer class 2004 group photo out collecting weed eating insects. Todd Breitenfeldt is second from left. Photo by Mike Battaiola 7-04.
Class is Free. If you want renewal credits or 1 semester college credit - through U of M, Western, Out Reach, Dillon, MT. Call U of M Western at: 1-866-799-9140 or sign up on the first day of the class, cost = about $110.00, Bio 491. You must pre register for the class, limit 30 people. Email Mr. Breitenfeldt: tbreit@whitehallmt.org for more information or to register.
A 3-day class all about how to replicate all that the Whitehall Project does in your county/area/school. Suggested for a team of a teacher (or leader of a local group) plus a weed professional as mentor. However, individuals may take the class.
2004 Student Web Pages
Brian Connely, Resource Coord. Natrona Co. Weed & Pest
Doug Goben, KG High School, Gildford, MT
Cary Jones, Joliet High School, MT
Boone And Crockett Conservation Education Program, Dupuyer, MT
BLM, Butte Field Office
Summer Class Photos:
Tom, Mike and Todd
Summer Class Photos 1
Summer Class Photos 2
Summer Class Photos 3
Summer Class Photos 4
Summer Class Photos 5
Summer Class Photos 6
Summer Class Photos 7
Day I, Mon. 10th
Continental Breakfast: 7:30-8 AMI. Introduction: the weed problem [1h, 8-9 AM]
A. Why are weeds?
1. Noxious weeds
a. Biological wild fire, decrease food production, decreased recreation
2. Montana weed identification
a. Category 1, 2, 3, and potential new invaders
B. Solutions: IPM, Integrated Pest Management
1. Prevention
2. Chemical
3. Cultural
4. Biological
a. Each bioagent species is different!
5. Education
6. Cooperation
C. Review of Whitehall Project [biocontrol].
1. Greenhouse rearing
2. Insectaries
3. Bioagent collection
4. Release / Augmentation
5. Release site monitoring / mapping
6. Land owner relations / bioagent redistribution
a. net (collection) days
7. mtwow.org web site
a. Teacher weed curriculum
8. Funding / grant writingII. Greenhouse rearing- how to [1h, 9-10 AM]
A. Calophasia lunula / Dalmatian toadflax - rearing.
1. Students mass rear all school year
B. Other possible usesIII. Insectary- how to [3.5h, 10-noon, lunch, 1-2:30 PM]
A. Goals and objectives
B. Insect life cycles
1. Weevil: Cyphocleonus achates
2. Moth: Agapeta zoegana
C. Tour
D. Collect from insectaries
E. Insectary construction
1. Collect (pull up) knapweed plants
2. Transplant knapweed plants
3. Construct corral
F. Cage rearing of Agapeta zoeganaIV. Collection and redistribution [2.5 h, 2:30-5 PM]
A. Goals and objectives
B. Example insect life cycles
1. Oberea erythrocephala - leafy spurge root boring beetle
2. Aphthona species - leafy spurge root feeding beetle
3. Larinus minutus - spotted & diffuse knapweed seed head weevil
C. Methods:
1. Collection
2. Storage
3. Transport
4. Release
D. Release site selection
1. Insect requirements
2. Fit spacing plan / weed area
3. Land owner cooperation and agreement
E. Go collect insects at release sites
1. Accelerate and clean-up releasesBar-B-Q! 5:30-? & weed movie.
Day 2, Tue., July 11th
Continental Breakfast: 7:30-8 AM2. Aspirate and count insects for release [1h, 8-9 AM]
3. Prepare insects for transport
4. Discuss insect shippingV. Release site monitoring [1h, 9-10 AM]
A. Importance of mapping
B. Photo record
C. Site information
D. How to use a GPS
F. Monitoring videoVI. Make release [2h, 11-noon]
A. Go to site(s) and release insects
1. GPS
2. Photograph
3. Record site data
4. Draw map
Lunch in field, 1-2 PM collect bioagents to take home for releaseVII. Mapping [3h, 2-5 PM]
A. Review ArcView
1. Map new release site(s)
2. Make map of your area
a. Bring your own release site GPS way points if you have them!Bar-B-Q! 5:30-?
Day 3, Wed. July 12th
Continental Breakfast: 7:30-8 AMVII. mtwow.org web site introduction [2h, 8-10 AM]
A. Detailed introduction to web site
1. Teacher noxious weed curriculum
B. How to write a web page
C. Write a web page for the mtwow.org site and publish to site
1. Include photo you have takenVIII. Grant writing [2h, 10-noon]
A. The Whitehall Project funding and grant(s)
B. Noxious Weed Trust Fund format
C. Conservation Districts HB223 grant format
D. Other sources of funding
E. Write your own grantLunch on own / Drive home
F. Head home or stay up to 5 PM and continue working on grant and/or open discussion
G. If taking for credit: email or mail in completed grant as final project.
Optional: Two Day Grassrange Extension
Leave 6:00 AM Thur. July 13th from Whitehall and drive approximately 4 hours to Lewistown. Meet BLM personal and proceed to Grassrange to collect leafy spurge flea beetles all afternoon. We will stay in a hotel in Lewistown, collect the next day (Fri., July 14th) and all can proceed home from there as they see fit with (hopefully) several hundred thousand flea beetles!
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